CHAPTER IX.
I secured a place with difficulty; there was rather a rush for the St.Gothard express when it ran in. It was composed as usual of corridorcarriages, all classes _en suite_, and I knew that it would beimpossible to conceal the fact that I was on board the train. Withinfive minutes Jules had verified the fact and taken seats in theimmediate neighbourhood, to which he and the Colonel presently came.
"Quite a pleasant little party!" he said in a bantering tone. "Allbound for Locarno, eh? Ever been to Locarno before, Mr. Falfani?Delightful lake, Maggiore. Many excursions, especially by steamer; theBorromean islands well worth seeing, and Baveno and Stresa and theroad to the Simplon."
I refused to be drawn, and only muttered that I hated excursions andsteamers and lakes, and wished to be left in peace.
"A little out of sorts, I'm afraid, Mr. Falfani. Sad that. Too manyemotions, want of sleep, perhaps. You _would_ do _too_ much lastnight." He still kept up his hateful babble, and Jules maddened me byhis sniggering enjoyment of my discomfiture.
More than ever did I set my brain to puzzle out some way of escapingthis horrible infliction. Was it not possible to give them the slip,somehow, somewhere? I took the Colonel's hint, and pretended to takerefuge in sleep, and at last, I believe, I dozed off. It must havebeen in my dreams that an idea came to me, a simple idea, easy ofexecution with luck and determination.
It was suggested to me by the short tunnels that succeed so frequentlyin the ascent of the St. Gothard Alps. They are, as most people know,a chief feature in the mountain railway, and a marvel of engineeringskill, being cut in circles to give the necessary length and gain theheight with a moderate gradient. Speed is so far slackened that itwould be quite possible to drop off the train without injury wheneverinclined. My only difficulty would be to alight without interferencefrom my persecutors.
I nursed my project with eyes shut, still feigning sleep; and myextreme quiescence had, as I hoped, the effect of throwing them offtheir guard. Jules, like all in the same employment, was always readyfor forty winks, and I saw that he was sound and snoring just as weentered the last tunnel before reaching the entrance of the finalgreat tunnel at Goeschenen. I could not be quite sure of the Colonel,but his attitude was that of a man resting, and who had very nearlylost himself, if he had not quite gone off.
Now was my time. If it was to be done at all it must be quickly,instantaneously almost. Fortunately we sat at the extreme end of acoach, in the last places, and besides we three there was only oneother occupant in the compartment of six. The fourth passenger wasawake, but I made a bid for his good-will by touching my lips with afinger, and the next minute I was gone.
I expected to hear the alarm given at my disappearance, but nonereached my ears, as the train rattled past me with its twinklinglights and noisy road. I held myself close against the side of thetunnel in perfect safety, although the hot wind of the passing carsfanned my cheek and rather terrified me. The moment the train was wellgone I faced the glimmering light that showed the entrance to thetunnel at the further end from the station, and ran to it with allspeed.
I knew that my jump from the train could not pass unnoticed, and Icounted on being followed. I expected that the tunnel would beexplored by people from Goeschenen so soon as the train ran in andreported. My first object, therefore, was to quit the line, and I didso directly I was clear of the tunnel. I climbed the fence, droppedinto a road, left that again to ascend the slope and take shelteramong the rocks and trees.
The pursuit, if any, was not very keen or long maintained. When allwas quiet, an hour later I made for the highroad, the famous old roadthat leads through the Devil's Pass to Andermatt, three miles above. Ialtogether avoided the Goeschenen station, fearing any inconvenientinquiries, and abandoned all idea of getting the telegram from Tilerthat might be possibly awaiting me. It did not much matter. I shouldbe obliged now to send him fresh news, news of the changed plans thattook me direct into Brieg; and on entering Andermatt I came upon thepost-office, just where I wanted it, both to send my message and orderan extra post carriage from Brieg.
It was with a sense of intense relief that I sank back into thecushions and felt that at last I was free. My satisfaction wasabruptly destroyed. Long before I reached Hospenthal, a mile or sofrom Andermatt, I was disturbed by strange cries to the accompanimentof harness bells.
"Yo-icks, Yo-icks, G-o-ne away!" was borne after me with all the forceof stentorian lungs, and looking round I saw to my horror a secondcarriage coming on at top speed, and beyond all question aiming toovertake us. Soon they drew nearer, near enough for speech, and theaccursed Colonel hailed me.
"Why, you cunning fox, so you broke cover and got away all in amoment! Lucky you were seen leaving the train, or we might haveoverrun the scent and gone on."
I did not answer.
"Nice morning for a drive, Mr. Falfani, and a long drive," he went on,laughing boisterously. "Going all the way to Brieg by road, I believe?So are we. Pity we did not join forces. One carriage would have donefor all three of us."
Still I did not speak.
"A bit ugly, eh? Don't fuss, man. It's all in the day's work."
With that I desired my driver to pull up, and waved my hand to theothers, motioning to them that the road was theirs.
But when I stopped they stopped, and the Colonel jeered. When I droveon they came along too, laughing. We did this several times; and whenat the two roads just through Hospenthal, one by the St. Gothard, theother leading to the Furka, I took the first for a short distance,then turned back, just to try my pursuers. They still stuck to me. Myheart sank within me. I was in this accursed soldier's claws. He hadcollared me, he was on my back, and I felt that I must throw up thesponge.
"I gave you fair notice that you would not get rid of me, and byheaven you shall not," he cried fiercely, putting off all at once thelighter mockery of his tone. "I know what is taking you to Brieg. Youthink to find your confederate there, and you hope that, combined, thetwo of you will get the better of that lady. You sha'n't, not if I canprevent you by any means in my power; understand that, and look outfor squalls if you try."
I confess he cowed me; he was so strong, so masterful, and, as Ibegan to fear, so unscrupulous, that I felt I could not make headagainst him. Certainly not alone. I must have Tiler's help, hiscounsel, countenance, active support. I must get in touch with him atthe earliest possible moment and my nearest way to him, situated as Iwas now, must be at or through Brieg.
So I resigned myself to my fate, and suffered myself to be driven onwith my pertinacious escort hanging on to me mile after mile of mywearing and interminable journey. We pulled up for luncheon and ashort rest at the Furka; again in the afternoon at the Rhone Glacier.Then we pursued our way all along the valley, with the great snow peakof the Matterhorn in front of us, through village and hamlet, in thefast fading light, and so on under the dark but luminous sky intoMunster, Fiesch, and Morel, till at length we rolled into Brieg about11 P.M.
I drove straight to the Hotel de la Poste, careless that my tormentorswere accompanying me; they could do me no more harm, and Tiler was athand to help in vindicating our position.
There was no Tiler at the Hotel de la Poste; no Tiler in Brieg. Onlya brief telegram from him conveying unwelcome and astoundingintelligence. It had been despatched from Vevey about 2 P.M.,and it said:
"Lost her somewhere between this and Lausanne. Am trying back. Shall wire you again to Brieg. Wait there or leave address."
My face must have betrayed my abject despair. I was so completelyknocked over that I offered no opposition when the Colonel impudentlytook the telegram out of my hand and read it coolly.
"Drawn blank!" he cried, unable to contain himself for joy. "By theLord Harry, that's good."